Fox and henhouse, spring, outdoors vs school, SB1310: Notes, Chicago outdoors

Notes from around Chicago outdoors.

FIELD NOTES

WILD OF THE WEEK

Dave Derk photographed this half of a pair of red foxes sitting by a suburban chicken coop. It’s now my favorite photo of my favorite mammal. WOTW, the celebration of wild scenes around Chicago outdoors, runs as warranted on Sundays on the Sun-Times outdoors page. Send nominations by Facebook (Dale Bowman), Twitter (@BowmanOutside) or email straycasts@sbcglobal.net.

DALE’S MAILBAG

“Sorry, but if I told my mom it was important for me to miss school to attend Opening Day at Wrigley Field because it might help me with my career down the road, I’d still be picking my teeth up from the floor.” A Sun-Times copy editor

A: The editor was responding to my praise of dads who pulled sons from school to fish opening day at Braidwood Lake and my suggestion that my dad taking me out of school for deer hunting mattered in my career. I stand by my thoughts.

BIG NUMBER

8-0: Vote by which SB1310, sponsored by Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris), advanced Thursday out of the Senate Environment and Conservation Committee; SB1310 would allow the IDNR to implement a parking fee at Starve Rock State Park with the funds deposited in the State Parks Fund to be used for infrastructure (80 percent) and public safety (20) at the park. Click here for more.

LAST WORD

“Snowshoe hare coats are turning brown; river otters are giving birth; grouse have started drumming; and maple sap is flowing. Whitetail does and elk cows are getting heavy with fawns and calves, as they are in their third trimester of pregnancy. Otters are being seen feasting on fish and muskrats are out chewing on cattails.”

Wisconsin DNR Outdoor Report for March 21, 2019, another round of prose matching the natural world

WILD TIMES

SHOWTIME

(Click here for the list of shows, classes and seminars)

Saturday, March 30: Walleyes Unlimited swap meet, Fox Lake Legion Hall

ILLINOIS PERMITS/SEASONS

Saturday-next Sunday: First of two statewide youth spring turkey hunts

Now: Remaining spring turkey permits on sale over the counter, click here for more info

Through April 30: Applications (limit of one) accepted for first lottery for resident firearm and muzzleloader deer hunting, click here for more info

HUNTER SAFETY

(Click here for full package of northeast Illinois hunter safety classes)

Thursday and Saturday: March 28 and 30: Chicago Heights, ducks56@comcast.net

March 30-31: Chicago (taught in Polish), (630) 479-0708

April 9, 11, 16, 18: Downers Grove, (630) 963-1300 Class #271006-01

April 12-13: Morris, philliparnold3@gmail.com or (815) 343-7330

April 18-20: Bonfield, (815) 635-3198

April 27-28: Palatine, palatineparks.org . . . Coal City, (815) 634-4552

U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY

(Click here for full listings of classes in the area)

Saturday: About Boating Safely, Waukegan, Curt Schumacher, curts402@aol.com

DUCKS UNLIMITED

(Click here for the general list of Illinois DU events)

NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION

(Click here for general list of banquets and events)

PHEASANTS FOREVER

(Click here for general list of Illinois PF events)